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Upcoming Events

Monthly meetings are usually the second Thursday of the month, except July, August, and December. Meeting Social (beverages & snacks available, a chance to meet and talk with fellow gardeners) at 6:30 p.m., meetings begin at 7:30 p.m.

Meetings are held at the Lakeview Community Association Hall (see map), 6110 – 34th Street SW, parking is free.

Are you curious (even frustrated) about changes to the scientific names of plants? Tony Reznicek will discuss how the name changes illuminate how plants evolved and how they are related. He’ll talk about interesting breakthroughs allowing us to use the genes of plants for classifying them, and the basic principles of classifying and naming plants. This will be illustrated by varied examples of classic and unusual rock garden plants, and their re-classification.

Tony is a past president of NARGS and a Research Scientist at the University of Michigan. His research interests include the classification and evolution of sedges, and the geographic distribution of plants of the Great Lakes region. He contributes many plant photos to the NARGS website, and travels extensively to study plants from Alaska to Chile. He gardens in Ann Arbor Michigan. For non-members, this talk is $10.

Shawn Hillis will show us some of the wonderful species and hybrid Lady-Slipper Orchids that will grow in our area, and discuss how to plant and care for these gems in Calgary gardens. For over a decade, Shawn has operated his nursery Garden Slippers in Calgary, specializing in hardy orchids, particularly Cypripedium. Among other awards, the Canadian Orchid Congress has honoured Shawn with a career achievement award for his efforts in bringing these plants into cultivation. For non-members, this talk is $5.

CRAGS member Irena travelled to Prague in May 2017 for this outstanding conference, which included talks and many garden tours of the incomparable Czech gardens. Czech gardeners have led the rock gardening world with their approach to crevice-style gardens. Irena will share her photos and impressions of her wonderful trip with her envious friends! For non-members, this talk is $5.

Past Events

Marilyn is a CRAGS member with a longstanding interest in wildflowers and is a native of the east coast of Australia. This trip was the result of a long standing wish to see some of the unique flora of Western Australia. This not very intrepid road trip was along the coast of Western Australia from the Pilbara in the north to Perth in the south. In August 2016 the early spring flowers were open and a relatively good rainfall in the previous (winter) months ensured that there was a good sample of the amazingly diverse and unusual genera of this botanically rich part of the world. For non-members, this talk is $5.

Please note this is the third Thursday of the month. Jiri will talk about the design and cultivation of alpines in various types of rock gardens, and also about his experiences with Daphnea and Saxifrages, which are good plants for our local gardens. Jiri is a key organizer of the 2016 Czech Rock Garden Conference in May 2017 and an active member of several rocks gardening clubs. He has explored various mountain areas in Europe and Iran, and worked with many of the famed Czech rock gardeners. For non-members, this talk is $10.

Invite a friend! We are pleased to again offer alpine and rock garden plants and materials for sale. Plants suitable for various environments will be available; whether rock garden, alpine bed, or container. Many of these plants are not available at local garden centers. Our special home grown tomato plants will again make an appearance.

Invite a friend! This month’s meeting will be a kaleidoscope and eclectic mixture of different topics. We are looking forward to seeing our fellow members’ photos from the last year or two, or your mini-talk about a garden topic! If you’ve had some great hiking or traveling, please show us the wildflowers and scenery. If you have a favorite garden plant or technique, please bring photos. Pictures of gardens – yours or others’ – are always welcome, whether established or under construction. Please let Linda know what you are bringing (lvaxvick@telus.net or 403-239-9434). Either bring your photos on a memory stick or email them to her. Doesn’t have to be a Powerpoint presentation. Can be as simple as your ten favorite pictures.

April 13th 7:15
Growing Pains: lessons from the botanic gardens at Olds College
By Jane Reksten

This talk will introduce you to the wonderful gardens at Olds College, and illustrate some of the lessons learned. The 15-year-old part of the garden still exhibits great character and a solid plant collection but needs some tweaking with a disciplined hand to keep it focused and vibrant.

Our speaker, Lori Skulski will talk about Wildflowers and Hikes in the Rockies. Lori will show us some photos from some of her favorite wildflower hikes in Kananaskis and Banff. Since retiring in fall of 2014, she has had the opportunity to get out hiking twice a week and to enjoy the season from start to finish, and through a range of elevations. Aside from hiking, Lori is a CRAGS member with an interest in identifying our native plants and in growing alpines from all over. She is a respected plant expert on the NARGS website